fathom

as in to plumb
to measure the depth of (as a body of water) typically with a weighted line the pilot had to continually fathom the river, which drought conditions had lowered to unprecedented levels

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fathom Minnesota Timberwolves star Julius Randle was among the many who couldn’t fathom the horrific shooting that left at least two children dead and 17 others injured in a Minnesota church on Wednesday. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Aug. 2025 That makes his occasional struggle all the more difficult to fathom. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025 Many novelists do, but her vision is more complex and difficult to fathom. Sheila Heti august 25, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2025 The problem is that this formulation is tough to fathom and even harder to operationalize. Rachel Barr, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fathom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fathom
Verb
  • For nearly five decades, NASA's twin Voyager probes have plumbed the cosmos in search of answers to some of astronomy's most perplexing mysteries about our solar system and its place in the wider universe.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Toews has long plumbed the calamities and contradictions of her biography in her fiction.
    Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Technology works, but scaling it to a level that meaningfully impacts global emissions is an entirely different challenge.
    Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • At the meeting, city leaders expressed support for scaling back its congregate homeless facilities and instead focusing on micro-communities.
    Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Laser-like light that spans a wide range of frequencies is a powerful tool for science and industry.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The band’s ninth studio album has been restored, remastered and expanded with an additional 25 bonus tracks, spanning alternate studio takes and live recordings by the famed bootlegger Mike Millard at Pink Floyd’s Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on April 26, 1975.
    Sophie Williams, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2025

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“Fathom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fathom. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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